Lens-grinding machine



June 3, 1924.

-A. E. MAYNARD LENS 'GRINDING MACHINE Fild Aug. 5; 1920- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR A.IE.MAYNARD 2' 4 4 W4 ATTORNEYS June 3 1924. 1,496,352

A. E. MAYNARD LENS GRINDING MACH I NE Filed Aug. 5. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR is A.E. MAYNARD ATTORNEYS Patented June 3, 1924.

UNITED STATES iaaatsz PATENT ounce.

ALBERT E. MAYNARD, F SOUTHBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 AMERICAN OPTICAL COMPANY, O'F SOUTI-IBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A VOLUNTARY ASSOCIA- 'IION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

LENS-GRINDING MACHINE.

Application filed August 5, 1920. Serial No. 401,402.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. MAYNARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Southbridge, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lens-Grinding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in grinding machines and has particular reference to an improved construction of multiple lens grinding machine.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is the provision of a simple and improved construction of multiple spindle lens grinding machine which will permit of an extremely compact arrangement of parts, requiring minimum bench space for the number of spindles being employed, which will permit of a single motor and shaft being employed to operate the several spindles either individually or simultaneously, and which will facilitate ready adjustment of the several parts of the machine as required.

Other objects and advantages of myimproved construction should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that I may make any modifications in the specific details of construction shown and described within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of my invention.

Figure I represents a front view partially in section of a machine embodying my improvements. I

Figure II represents a fragmentary plan view of the base portion and drive.

Figure III represents a detail rear view of the driving mechanism.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main tub portion or frame of my machine having a plurality of webs 2 at the top forming pockets to receive the separable tub members 3 which are secured to the webs as by bolts 4 for retaining the parts in position. Each of these tubs as a unit has journaled therein a vertical spindle 5provided with the worm gear 6 meshing with the worm 7 on the shaft 8, which is further provided with-a driven sprocket 9. This sprocket 9 is disposed near the noise and friction of the mounted thereon the sleeves 16 which are here shown as of four in number; Said sleeves bear preferably at one end the sprockets 12 and nearv the other end the drive pulleys 17 connected as by the belts 18 with the upper spindles 19 of the machine to rotate the latter. They also pref erably terminate in the toothed or other clutch face construction 20 adapted to engage with the opposed clutch member 21 keyed on the shaft 15 and shiftable as by the clutch yoke 22 engaged in the groove 23 of the clutch member 21 and operated by the handle 24 on the front of the member 1, the handle thus extending through the member 1.

It will thus be seen that in operation when the members 20 and 21 are placed in interlocking engagement the sleeve 16 and drive sprockets and pulleys carried thereby will be rotated to respectively drive the upper and lower spindles of the machine at the correct relative speeds, while by throwing out the clutch any one of the units may be stoppedwhile the other units of the ma chine continue, to operate as before, thus providing an individual control for the several portions of the machine in addition to the ordinary control through stopping of the shaft 15.

It is to be noted that the upper spindles 19 are carried in rotatable transversely slidable heads 25 mounted on the standards 26, while the size of the parts is such that the standards are disposed immediately adjacent one to the other. In this construction it is desirable to employ screw feed mechanism, such as indicated at 27 for transversely shifting the slide varying the upper head25. On account of the close position of the standards, however, it is not convenient to have individual hand operated 25 and at its outer end being provided.

with an operating hand wheel 31 to rotate the shaft 29. The shaft 29 mayeither of itself be longitudinally slidable as well as rotatable, in which event the pinion 30 will be directly secured thereto, or may be stationary, in which event the pinion 30 will be provided with the shift collar portions 32 tofacilitate selective meshing of the pinion 30 with the desired gear 28 so that upon rotation of the shaft 29 if the members 28/and 30 are in mesh the member '28 willbe. rotated to adjust the slide and thus the upper head in one direction or the other as may be desired. Securing the pinion 3O direct on the shaft as at the left of Figure I entails the limitation that the parts can, then only be selectively adjusted, while in the construction at the-right where a pair of pinions are employed the, several shafts if desired may be simultaneously adjusted. In either event, however, the heads may be very simply and easily adjusted from the end of the bench and any desired number of units may be assembled and coupled with a single adjusting shaft of the type indicated at the right of Figure I without necessitating extra bench room being taken up by allowance of individual mechanisms and yet each individual head may be individually adjusted as desiredv from the end of the machine, or if preferred the entire set or any selected group of the heads may be similarly simultaneously adjusted with re spect to its, own individual lower spindles and be shifted any desired amount.

I claim 1. A lens grinding machine including a bed, a plurality of separate tub units secured in the bed, supports rising from the bed and provided with transversely adjust able heads, upper spindles car-riedby each of the heads, a lower spindle in each tub for cooperation with its opposed upper spindle, and means for singly or simultaneously laterally adjusting the said upper spindles.

2. A machine of the character described comprising abase, a plurality of supports rising from thebase and. eachprovided with a guide channel, a head slidably mounted in each guide channel, a spindle rotatably carriedby each head, screw, feed means car.- ried by the support, andengaging the head for transversely shifting-the head, saidscrew feed means. including a pinion, aishaft carried' by thesupports bearing a pinion.- shiftable into and out of engagement with the pinion. on the screw feed means whereby the screw feed means may be actuated through rotation of the shaft, and a second set of spindles associated with the base and arrangedin opposed relation to the head spindles and adapted for cooperation therewith.

3. A lens grinding machine including a bed, a plurality of separate tub units secured in the bed, supports rising from the bed and provided with transversely adjustable heads, spindles carried by each of the heads, a second set of spindles. one in each tub for cooperation with its opposed head spindle, means for singly or simultaneously laterally adjusting the said head spindles, and means for singly or simultaneously rotating said. spindles.

4:. In a machine of the character described, the combination with abase, of a main drive shaft carried'by the base, a sleeve loosely mounted on the drive shaft and bearing a drive pulley and drive sprocket, clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the shaft and sleeve, a tub unit detachably mounted on the base and bearing a spindle and driving means for said spindle, drive connections between the sprocket on the sleeve and the spindle drive mechanism for operating the latter, an upright on the base adjacent said tub, a grinding head carried by the upright and having a spindle forceoperation with the spindle of the tub, and additional driving connections between the pulley on the sleeve and said spindle for actuating the latter whereby the operation of both spindles is controlled by the clutch mechanism.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a base, of a main drive shaft carried by the base, a. sleeve loosely mounted on the drive shaft and bearing a drive pulley and drive sprocket, clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the shaft and sleeve, a tub unit detacha-bly mounted on the base and bearing a spindle and driving means for said spindle, drive connections between the sprocket on the sleeve and the spindle drive mechanism for operating the latter, an upright on the base adjacent said tub, a grinding head'oarried by the upright and having a spindle for cooperation with the spindle of the tub, additional driving connections between the pulley on the sleeve andsaid spindle for actuating the latter whereby the operation of both spindles; is controlled by the clutch mechanism, the grinding head being mounted for transverse sliding movement on its upright, nd meansfor transversely shifting the head.

6. In amachineof the character described, the, combination witha base, of a main'drive shaft carried by the base, a sleeve loosely. mounted on. the drive shaft and bearinga drive pulley and drive sprocket, clutch mechanism for operatively connecting the "shaft and sleeve, a tub unit detachably mounted on the base and bearing a spindle and driving means for said spindle, drive connections between the sprocket on the sleeve and the spindle drive mechanism for operating the latter, an upright on the base adjacent said tub, a grinding head carried by the upright and having a spindle for cooperation with the spindle of the tub, additional driving connections between the pulley on the sleeve and said spindle for actuating the latter whereby the operation of both spindles is controlled by the clutch mechanism, the base being provided with a plurality of tubs and uprights correspondingly constructed, and the several grinding heads being mounted on the uprights for transverse sliding movement, and means for separately or simultaneously sliding the several heads on their respective uprights.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT E. MAYNARD. Witnesses:

ALICE G. HASKELL, H. K. PARSONS. 

